Love and Hate
by 03009
Summary: Opposits attract. What is love can ellapse into hatred, yet out of hate grows love. Title derived from inumog's doujin. So what happens when Izaya disappears and Ikebukuro becomes a battlefield once more? CP: Shizaya-maybe
1. Disappearance

**I. DISAPPEARANCE**

"Good morning~"

_This again._

"Shi—zu—chan~!"

_Day after day._

A quick flash of metal flew before his eyes, before the chilling sensation of the blade rested on the back of his neck.

_You never change._

A cloud of dust obscured everything around him, enveloping him, engulfing him. A cloak of invisibility. A battleground, just for two people.

"I—ZA—YA—KUUUUN—!"

_Same old, same old._

* * *

><p>-KANRA has entered the chatroom-<p>

KANRA: Yosh! Minna-san! Kanra-chan is here~

KANRA: …

KANRA: Where is everybody? Did you all leave Kanra-chan and went to have fun by yourselves? How mean~

KANRA: Ma, no matter.

KANRA: Because Kanra-chan

KANRA: Is going away too~

-KANRA has exited the chatroom-

* * *

><p>"Hey, Masaomi, don't you think it's been a little too quiet around here lately?" A boy with short black hair clenched the strap of his bag nervously.<p>

"What are you talking about, Mikado?" Kida turned around to face him with a flourish. "Can't you hear it? The heart beats of the girls entranced by…me! Those sexy bodies just waiting—"

"Anri, what do you think?" Defeated, Mikado turned to the glasses-wearing girl next to him.

"Hey! Don't just ign—"

"I think so too." The quiet voice drowned out Kida's rant as a slight blush climbed onto Anri's cheeks.

"For the past two months, the streets have been so calm." Mikado nodded his agreement. "It's so abnormal that it's hard to get used to."

No. Looking around the bustling streets, there is nothing calm about this city, the city of gangs and of headless riders. Thousands of people swarm the streets. Men, women. Adults, children. A scene typical of any urban area.

Yet it is exactly this normality that is strange.

Something seemed to be missing, and without it, well, it is just not the same.

* * *

><p>"Fwwwwaaa!" A capped head emerged from behind a manga magazine. "Since when did Ikebukuro become so boring, Dotachin?"<p>

Kadota looked out the van window and gave no response.

"I haven't seen Izaya-san in so long! He disappeared without saying anything, just like Onodera from Sekai!"

"…"

"Ah, I bet Shizu-chan misses Izaya-san so much that he must be losing himself, just like Taka—"

"Shizuo isn't like that."

"Eh? Dotachin," Erika pulled close, eyes alit. "Are you saying Shizu-chan can be indifferent?"

"I'm not saying anything. All I mean is that Shizuo can solve things by himself."

"So you don't deny that you think Shizu-chan misses Izaya-san?"

"…"

"Heh. He must."

Because it's only natural, when you can't find something that is dear.

* * *

><p>Kill him.<p>

Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.

Blood dripped down his sleeve, soiling his neat bartender uniform.

On the ground lies a bloodied knife.

Just what _he_ would use.

This bastard.

"Oi. You."

"H-" The man's eyes became round with fear. "Heiw-wa…"

"When you came at me with a knife, you knew you could have stabbed me through my chest, right?"

"And you knew that if it went through, I could die, right?"

"So you can't complain…" The light pole creaked under his grasp and gave some resistance before finally giving in to the fearsome strength.

"If I destroy you, RIGHT?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH-!"

* * *

><p>"I'm not your personal doctor, you know." Shinra shrugged as he finished bandaging Shizuo's badly pierced arm.<p>

"Ah." Shizuo leaned back against the couch.

"As much as I love helping out old friends, I still want my alone time with my dear Celty, Shizuo. And this time! Just when I was finally getting close to—Ahh! Celty! Stop hitting me!"

Having nothing else to say to the lovey-dovey (?) couple in front of him, Shizuo merely let out a breath of smoke.

"Sorry."

"But Shizuo," Shinra, suddenly serious, inspected his guest with a questioning eye. "You've been getting to way more fights lately. What's up? Izaya isn't even here to provoke you."

_Why do you mention that flea?_

A sudden wave of frustration washed over Shizuo. He extinguished the cigarette as he tried to put the thought of Izaya out of his head.

"Nothing." Shizuo stood up to leave. "Sorry for disturbing you."

[Wait.] Celty motioned to him. [Do you have any idea where Izaya is?]

"Hah? Why should I know the flea's whereabouts?"

[…It's just unlike him to suddenly go missing.]

"…"

[Did something happen to him?]

"I told you I don't know!" Something snapped inside Shizuo, and anger swelled up in his chest like an irritating infection.

"Don't yell at Celty." Whining, Shinra gave him an unusual look. "What's with you lately?"

What's with him? Shizuo suddenly grew quiet. What's with him…

_That's __what __I'd __like __to __know, __too_.

Why is he feeling so goddamn anxious?

"Wai—Where are you going?"

"To Shinjuku." Shizuo replied without looking back or slowing his step. "I'm going to drag that flea out and kill him."

The door slammed shut, and the walls shook with the force.

Shinra sighed and gave a small laugh. "Really, now." He smiled at Celty. "Why can't he be more honest?"

* * *

><p><em>Where are you, you flea?<em>

_What are you planning?_

_Come out and stop fucking around._

_Or I will search you out myself._

**I. DISAPPEARANCE end**


	2. Rise

**II. RISE**

I love humans. Love, love, LOVE!

Such fascinating creatures, all of you!

Ma. Except one, maybe.

* * *

><p>-TANAKA TARO has entered the chatroom-<p>

SETTON: Hello, Tanaka-san.

SAIKA: Good afternoon.

BAKYURA: Hello~

TANAKA TARO: Good afternoon. Is everyone online?

SETTON: Everyone except Kanra-chan.

TANAKA TARO: Really? Usually she's always here.

SAIKA: She hasn't been on for a long time.

SAIKA: I hope nothing bad happened.

BAKYURA: It would be better if she died.

SETTON: Don't be so heartless. Kanra-chan might be loud, but she's a nice girl.

BAKYURA: Ha!

TANAKA TARO: Someone else I know hasn't shown up in a long time either. I'm kind of worried.

SETTON: Same here. I haven't heard from a colleague in a while.

SAIKA: …

SAIKA: I'm sure

SAIKA: It will all work out.

SAIKA: …

BAKYURA: It's getting depressing in here. Let's talk about something else. Have you heard the news?

SETTON: Usually Kanra-chan brings the news, so no. What is it?

BAKYURA: A new gang is rising in Ikebukuro, according to what I heard on the streets.

SETTON: ?

TAKANA TARO: EHH—? What about DOLLARS and the Yellow Scarves?

BAKYURA: So far it seems the new gang hasn't come in conflict with them, but this group is growing at an alarming rate.

SAIKA: Yes, I've heard that too.

TAKANA TARO: Saika-san has also heard this rumor? What will happen to Ikebukuro?

BAKYURA: At this point, it's hard to say.

SETTON: It would be terrible if they start clashing with DOLLARS, the Yellow Scarves, and Saika.

BAKYURA: I hate to admit this, but…

BAKYURA: It would be very terrible indeed.

* * *

><p>Why do humans do what they do?<p>

Blindly pursuing some impossible dream, stopping at nothing to achieve what they want without ever thinking about the details. Seeing only what they think is true, rejecting everything else, denying their existence.

But I love you all. It is simply because you act so foolishly that makes you such amusing creatures.

I give my life to observing you. So won't you love me back?

* * *

><p>"The streets of Ikebukuro are so peaceful today, too." Mikado laughed awkwardly as he walked side-by-side with Anri.<p>

"Yes." A soft reply, followed by silence.

An oppressing atmosphere fell over the two students. Mikado complained inwardly as he remembered how Kida made some ridiculous excuse before running off in a hurry.

"What's this?" A group of men caught his attention. "Look—"

Black. A mass of darkly-clothed figures gathered around the street corner, looking as if a gigantic storm cloud that fell from the sky.

A cloud that brings chaos and destruction.

"A crowd…?"

"Who are they? Are they the new gang that everyone is talking about?"

"I don't know." Anri shook her head. "But they weren't around before."

"This doesn't look good. What's the name of the new group?" Mikado frowned at the sight of the congregation.

Please, please don't let this turn into another gang warfare…

"I think they're called—"

* * *

><p>"Black Spades." Walker and Erika answered simultaneously.<p>

"Spades, huh?" Kadota trailed off as he stared out the van at the men.

"The most warlike of the four suits." Erika cheerfully added as she peeked out from behind a doujinshi. "Even manga says so."

"It would be bothersome if they were to start messing in Ikebukuro."

"But if they do—"

"—That's where we come in, ne?"

"So we should start preparing the books—"

"—So they can have some fantastic choices!"

Without looking Kadota can feel the malicious aura coming from the two otaku in the backseat. He sighed again as the restless black cloud of men became nothing but a dot in the rearview mirror.

* * *

><p>"Here." A woman with long flowing hair offered the man a glass of milk.<p>

"Thank you." The man in a bartender suit calmly accepted the offering.

So, really, why is he sitting in Orihara Izaya's living room drinking milk ? !

Unable to control his anger, Shizuo slammed the cup down onto the table, successfully leaving a crack in the well-polished glass.

He can just imagine that annoying flea complaining about it later.

If he ever shows up again, that is.

"Che." Shizuo growled at the thought, having temporarily forgotten of his situation.

"Are you trying to find Orihara Izaya?" Namie asked emotionlessly, observing Shizuo's actions without any obvious reactions.

"No. I couldn't care less what happened to him."

_Yet __you __still __came __looking_. Namie commented in her mind, but for the sake of her life decided to keep quiet.

"Well," breaking the silence, Namie packed up her papers. "He hasn't come home in over a month and now I'm left with all the work with no time to spend with Seiji. I'd like to know where he is too."

"…"

"My people are still searching for him." She turned toward the door. "I'll let you know if we find anything."

_[I don't care to know.]_

_[Let me know when the flea's dead.]_

_[What he does has nothing to do with me.]_

Unable to bring himself to say something that will severe his tie with Izaya, Shizuo sighed.

"…Thanks."

Namie nodded an acknowledgement and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her, leaving Shizuo in a world where anything and everything has a direct association with Orihara Izaya.

Everything is in perfect order, yet their owner is nowhere to be found.

_Where are you hiding, flea?_

**II. RISE end**

* * *

><p>03009: Minna-san, hajimemashite! What you see is basically the result of reading too much Shizaya lately. My first fanfic ever coupled with the fact that I haven't written a single fiction story in two years… Mah. I'll try my best! I sincerely hope at least some of you enjoyed it! I don't plan on prolonging this, but meanwhile I would love to hear what you think! To those of you who reviewed the first chapter—thank you so much! And really now...FanFic-san is so picky...Had to reload the second chapter due to formatting issues. Sorry for any confusion.<p> 


	3. Warfare

**III. WARFARE**

_No._

_No. No. No. No. NO._

_This is all wrong. _

The boy stared at his computer, the dim light of the screen casting capricious shadows over his soft yet powerful features. He sat still in the silence, his gray-blue eyes fastened to the bold words in front of him.

_Today's Headline: Gang Duel Breaks Out in Ikebukuro; Two Fatalities and Thirty Injured._

What on Earth…is going to happen?

* * *

><p>"Oi. Shizuo." Kadota leaned against Togusa's beloved van with a heavy air. "Calm down."<p>

In front of him stands Ikebukuro's strongest. And angriest, as of now.

The muscles bulged under the thin fabric of his uniform, and veins popped out at the sides of his head, forming a startling yet intriguing pattern, like a map to the hot blood running deep, all the way through his body. His fists tightened despite his attempts to relax, and his expression was tense, rigid with irritation.

At his feet were men, some unconscious, some wishing that they were unconscious. A river of red blood pooled around them, like some manifest evidence to show the world of this one man's magnificence.

_"Ma. A monster is a monster after all."_

Shizuo swirled around at the sound of that voice. Nothing was there except the empty darkness of the night.

A throb shook his chest. An…illusion, then?

But what was he expecting? What did he hope to see there, in the depths of the shadows? Or…who?

He shook his head violently._I wanted to see that louse? _No. No way that could ever happen. It must be his fury getting to his mind, confusing him. Yeah, that's it. He never wants to see that whimsical smirk again, or hear that maniacal laugh, or chase him in and out of the streets, his hands reaching out, with the thin frame of the flea's body just out of his grasp—

No. He doesn't want to see him again. He hates the flea, and that's something that will never change.

"—Shizuo?"

"Ah?" Kadota's voice pulled Shizuo out of his trance and back to reality.

Oh. Right. The men. The attack. The blood…

"I said, what do you think of this?" Kadota crossed his arms, his expression hidden by the obscure covering of the night. "Who are they?" He turned his gaze back to one of the men and contemplated their situation. "Not DOLLARS, not Yellow Scarves, not even Saika…"

So who are they?

"Don't you think they're from Spades?"

"They can only be from the Black Spades, right?"

"Just look at the clothing—"

"And the faces—"

"Those warlike stances—"

"And that gun!"

A silver revolver, now a crumpled piece of scrap metal after Shizuo's handiwork, lay quietly beside them. The symbol of a spade that was on the butt of the gun glistened under the moonlight. The crew fell silent for a second. Despite their years of clashing with human scum, being suddenly attacked without any warning on a desolate road in the middle of the night by a group of professional assassins with semi-automatic weapons is still a first.

Togusa slammed his fist into the door of his van. "These bastards, luring us out with that kidnapped girl as bait… They almost killed us!"

"But they didn't." Kadota mused. "They stopped. In the middle of that attack, when we were cornered and outnumbered. All of them hesitated, like someone just gave a new order to retreat and leave the prey." Pause. "And when they didn't obey, that certain someone decided in favor of punishment for his hunting dogs."

"What are you saying, Kadota?"

"Look at this." He calmly walked around to one of the bodies. Shizuo followed, and immediately recognized the man. It was the guy who fired the first shot after that brief break in the men's attack, the bastard who planted his bullet firmly into Shizuo's left arm.

And that time, he was obviously aiming for Shizuo's heart, dammit.

Kadota loosened the gun from the lifeless man's hold. An object stuck out on the side of the barrel of the gun, its tip lodged inside the metal from the force with which it hit this deadly weapon. A flick blade.

"If it wasn't for this, he wouldn't have missed."

"…Ah." Shizuo nodded. He knew. That time, the guy aimed for his heart. There was no time to move, no room to move. And just before he saw the flash of the gun being fired, he glimpsed a ray of light hit the barrel like an angel's arrow. A familiar ray, much like ones he'd see in that battlefield for two, when _his_ knife would catch the sparkles of the sun.

A flick blade, dammit.

"Ne, ne, Dotachin, doesn't that look familiar?"

"It does remind me of—eh? Shizuo? What's wrong?"

Shizuo inspected the little weapon that he just snatched from Kadota. His face gleamed back at him on the blade of the knife. A drop of blood rolled off Shizuo's chin and fell silently onto his image, tainting the mirrored world a ruby shade of red. His reflection danced through the veils of crimson, and he is reminded of those eyes, those startling eyes that overlooked the world.

"…It stinks."

IT REALLY, REALLY STINKS.

"Ah—! Could it be that Shizu-chan is missing his wif—"

"Now," muffling Erika with one hand, Kadota glanced around to survey the damage. He scratched his neck, and motioned for the others to follow him back onto the van. "Let's start back. That girl should regain consciousness soon…"

Standing still, Shizuo followed their retreating figures lazily with his eyes. A breeze picked up, carrying away the fetid smell of the gore. But there was something else in the wind. A man's voice. _His_ voice. A voice that isn't really there, but was with him the entire time.

_"How mean~. Why am I always linked with Shizu-chan?"_

_"Can't they see?"_

_"I hate Shizu-chan the most."_

_"So, Shizu-chan must be killed by me and no one else."_

_"I won't forgive Shizu-chan for dying under someone else's hands, you know."_

_"Ahaha~"_

"Shut up, you louse." Frowning, Shizuo whispered to the vacant darkness before turning to leave.

* * *

><p><em>Today's Headline: Five Men Murdered; Gang Activities Suspected…<em>

_Today's Headline: Pedestrians Witness Turmoil on Streets…_

_Today's Headline: Abandoned Factory Blown to Pieces; Eight Bodies Found in Rubble…_

_Today's Headline: Ten Tourists Gone Missing—Human Trafficking in Ikebukuro? …_

…

* * *

><p>-DOLLARS Forum-<p>

User1: What the fuck is going on ? ! What is with this whole gang business ? !

User2: Yeah yeah! Who's behind all this, huh ? !

User3: I think it's those Spades. They seem to be very active lately.

User4: That might be so, but many around the city are suspecting this is from DOLLARS.

User 5: I say we team up like last time and kick those bastards out of here!

User 6: Now now. Won't that just put more people in danger?

User 7: Fuck you, you coward! If you ain't goin' to do nothin' bout this, the rest of us can do whatever we want!

User 8: We should listen to the leader.

User 9: What leader? Who knows who this leader is? Why should we listen to some guy who never shows his face ? !

User 10: The hell with him. If they're gonna play tough, we just gotta counter force with force—

* * *

><p>"Shogun! We have to take action!"<p>

"Let's beat the shit out of 'em!"

"They took out two of our bros last week! We need to—"

"Silence."

"But shogun! We can't fucking sit back and have 'em look down on us!"

"Yeah! Show 'em who's boss around Ikebu—"

"_Silence_." The boy's voice dropped a pitch, his presence full of authority. He stared down at his men, each wearing that symbolic yellow, reflected in his very own golden irises.

_The Yellow Sky will soon rise_, huh.

"No one here will do a single thing unless I tell you to. Do you understand?"

"…Che."

Having temporarily tamed his hostile herd of a gang, he turned his eyes to the sliver of sky showing through the gate of their hide-out. Dark storm clouds filled the sky, oppressing, like an ominous omen. A black cloud, just like that black cloud of men. That cloud of destruction.

_And how can the Yellow Sky rise, if those ruthless clouds are determined to reduce the sky to naught?_

* * *

><p>"Thank you." She bowed and began to jog away, the color of her eyes fading back to a neutral brown.<p>

The children of Saika. They're everywhere. Indistinguishable. Invisible. And that makes them perfect spies.

Yet still she could not exact the identities of her enemies.

Or, more importantly, the identity of her ally.

That shadow she saw in the attack on Saika earlier…

It very well might be her only chance.

* * *

><p>"It's time."<p>

The three acknowledged each other, their expressions grim but set. This is not a time to falter.

Who can imagine such a day, when DOLLARS, Yellow Scarves, and Saika team up?

Outside, the clouds are still brewing something terrible.

* * *

><p><em>So this is what you came up with, my beloved humans?<em>

_Ahaha~. How interesting, how interesting!_

_Show me what you can do, show me everything!_

_Satisfy me, because I love you._

* * *

><p>A shadow lingered on the rooftop. Something like a smile seemed to spread across that hidden face as the body twirled round and round in the moonlight. But when the wind picked up again, it was no longer there, as if it never was.<p>

**III. WARFARE end**

* * *

><p>03009: Hello! This is a kinda long (cough: and kinda crappy) chapter, ne. (Cough cough: and with almost no Shizaya, ne.) It was going to be longer, but in the end I decided to cut it in half. So now instead of the 6 chapters I planned, this fanfiction will probably end up with 7. (How did I get to this from the 3 chapters that was my original plan ? !) I would be very happy if you stay with me until the end! And MAN, I really can't write 'action' for the life of me. And AUTOCORRECTIONS-kun on FanFiction is still as uptight as ever. Anyway, for any mistakes I made… Hontouni gomen! Also, about the fact that it's almost halfway through the story and Izaya has only showed up for one scene…(looks away guiltily)… Daijoubu! The informant will make his appearance later on. (Nudge, nudge.) And does anyone else feel like little Romano is narrating the story in the first part…? (Romano-chan: vat the crapola you talking about, dammit?) And to answer adonis-san's question, the doujin's title is Love and Hate, and that is why I said the title of this fanfic is derived from that. However, this fanfiction has nothing to do with the doujin itself (although I would still encourage everyone to check it out…inumog-sensei's works are really well-done. R18 warning, though). Anyway, I'm done blah-blahing. Please review and critique!<p> 


	4. Operation

**IV. OPERATION**

"King, your tea." A woman cast a glance on the porcelain cup on the polished wooden table in front of her. "It's getting cold."

The man she addressed sat still in the sofa across from hers. He did not open his eyes, and the soft rising and falling of his chest suggested that he might have been asleep. She knew he isn't. There is no particular reason why she knows; if one must ask, it's because a bond exists between them, a bond stronger than anything else.

Some rumbles escaped through the opened window. The thunder crackled in the distance. It is horrible weather, yet it is this that she liked best. It strikes irritation and annoyance into the hearts of those who are already restless.

"I'll make some more." She picked up the cup. As she leaned over, the silver tendrils of her hair slipped away from her back in a torrent, revealing on her nape that dark and mysterious symbol of the spade.

* * *

><p>Title: Re: Spades<p>

Date: June 14

Stay away from Raira.

-Anonymous

* * *

><p>"Did you hear? The Black Spades stroke out again last night."<p>

"No way! Are you serious?"

"It seems to be that way. They found three bodies. I heard all of them were drenched from head to toe with blood. One of them was missing an eyeball, and another had his neck slashed with his head hanging barely by a few strands of skin—"

"—!"

"The only evidence left of the murderer is a large spade symbol, etched into the wall with the victims' own blood."

"That's just sick… It's like something straight out of some ill-humored horror story…"

"Oh yeah? You think it's just a story? Two of the victims this time were those juvenile delinquents who tried to rob you last week."

"…"

"The other one is my neighbor's daughter. They say she might have been cornered by those boys before this happened."

"…"

"And guess what else? This whole thing took place just three blocks away from your house, at that high school down the road. What's it called again?"

"Raira?"

"Yeah, that's it. Raira."

* * *

><p>Title: Re: Spades<p>

Date: June 28

S&I Pub. Tonight at 10. Don't go.

* * *

><p>"King." The woman eyed him, her hands on a report. "The mission was unsuccessful."<p>

He stirred in his chair, but after a few movements he remained still.

"Our team went into the pub as planned, but it seems that the word got leaked. It was an empty nest by the time we got there." She put down the report, and her arms circled around his neck as she climbed into his lap. "It was so empty…so empty…"

He flinched, though slightly. His hand crept up in a mechanical movement, and his fingers felt cold as they touched the woman's arm.

"What should we do now, King?" She put her face in the nook of his neck, feeling the texture of his skin. It felt rough and scratchy, just the way she likes it. "What should we do to fill that emptiness?"

She did not wait for a reply. Her head moved downwards until it was at his chest, and she listened to his heartbeat, faint but regular, as mechanical as his touch. Her hands followed her head's lead and moved down also. Down, down, _down_.

"Is that so?" She giggled, as if a small child. "So this is what you want?"

He still did not speak nor open his eyes. That's fine.

"Okay, I'll do it. I'll do anything for you as your Queen, my King." She giggled again, the sound ever so eerie in the silence of the room. "I'll call him out, since it's your command and I love you." She paused. "I love you."

She gradually peeled herself off of him. She turned around with an air of confidence, her expression cold and harsh. The twisted innocence had drained from her being, replaced by the usual formality.

Her attention focused on a figure in the corner of the room. "Call out the Joker." She said.

* * *

><p>Title: Re: Spades<p>

Date: July 12

Counterattack. Sunshine 60 Dori. 3 targets.

* * *

><p>"So?" Kida.<p>

"Kadota-san went in to stop Erika-san and Walker-san from driving them off the edge." Mikado. "They still haven't talked since we captured them last night, but Kadota-san suspects that those three are close to cracking, especially under that…mental torture." Shudder.

"But don't you wonder about this?" Kida. "All of those messages."

"…Yeah." Mikado.

"Yes." Anri. "The children of Saika couldn't find the source."

"DOLLARS hasn't made much progress on that either." Mikado.

"Isn't it a little too easy? It's like someone is guiding us to exactly where it is most advantageous." Kida. "Yet we know nothing of where all this is coming from." Pause.

"There aren't many people in Japan who can manipulate such a massive amount of underground information so freely…" Mikado.

Silence.

Silence.

"…Che." Shizuo.

Silence.

* * *

><p>Title: Re: Spades<p>

Date: July 26

It will be a sunny day tomorrow.

* * *

><p>The rainy season is unusually long and persistent this year. Already in late July, but the showers are still continuing. However, today, the weather is nice. It's sunny in Ikebukuro, and things seemed to have gone back to normal. On the surface, at least. But an illusion of normality is better than no illusion at all.<p>

"Mikado, did you see that?" Kida laughed as they walked down the street. "That girl was totally checking me out! Of course, that's no surprise, since I am obviously the most…"

"Masaomi is really energetic today, isn't he?" Mikado turned his head to face Anri and whispered with a chuckle. His eyes met hers, and a blush bloomed on his face as he quickly pulled his gaze elsewhere.

"Ah…" Anri muttered. "Yes."

"Hey! Whatcha guys doing?" Kida, who had finished his long soliloquy and had already gone on ahead, shouted to them as he waved his arm in the air. "If you don't hurry up, they'll sell out at the movie theater!"

"Coming!" Mikado shouted back, and he smiled as he began jogging down the street, his hand wrapped around Anri's.

CRASH.

When Mikado managed to sit up, he only managed to catch a glimpse of the man who ran into him—a bouncy step, a wisp of fur.

"Ack! Are you guys all right?" Kida sprinted up to them.

"Huh? Oh…" Mikado gradually pulled his attention away from the corner around which the man went, uncertain about whether what he saw was just his imagination. "…Yeah."

"Eh? What's this? A package?" Kida picked something dropped next to Mikado on the asphalt. "Was it left by that guy when he was in a hurry?"

"What's in it?" Mikado tensed as a feeling of foreboding rose up his spine.

Kida's face stiffened as he pulled the papers out of the manila envelope.

And so the illusion ends here.

* * *

><p>"Mission accomplished~" The man closed the door and slipped off his black jacket lined with white fur.<p>

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he laughed as he checked the message. "The operation has been initiated, huh~?"

A chessboard lay on the table next to the couch. He picked up a shogi general with ease and moved it a step

forward.

"The blatant Yellow Scarves as the main force for open combat~"

Another move.

"The colorless DOLLARS as the ambushers."

Another move.

"The invisible Saika to infiltrate the system from within."

His face broke into a smile.

Shogi and othello pieces now surround two lone chessmen, a king and queen atop a poker card. A spade.

"Checkmate~"

**IV. OPERATION end**

* * *

><p>03009: After a putting this off for months, I finally dragged myself up and forcibly finished this (oi oi what do you mean "forcibly"?). Ahh~, I really didn't know how to write this chapter. Reading all those Shizaya fanfics during my respite definitely did not help. Now all I can think of is Izaya dying. Mah, but in the end it's finally here, chapter 4. I suddenly realized I kept switching between present and past tense in the story. Oh well, can't be helped (read as: too lazy to fix it). I also bumped down the rating since I decided to take a different approach than my original plans~. This story was initially meant to be a Shizaya tribute, but it got off course. The next few chapters will start doting on the Shizaya aspect more, but the general focus is on DRRR at large. Oh, and also, does anyone see the secret in the anonymous messages? It's a (very stupid) hint to the next chapter. Now, the only question is when should I start on the next chapter, ne… (And maybe it's finally time for Izaya to show himself publicly, ne…)<p> 


	5. Joker

**V. JOKER**

"Checkmate~" He laughed.

"Game's over already, so why don't you come out?" Without even looking up, he threw his pocket knife behind him. The shape of a man caught the flying knife without so much as a wince.

Sensing that the man has dodged the danger, Izaya straightened up. A glitter climbed into his eyes as he turned to face him. "Well? What brings you here, Shizu-chan?"

The tall blond man stood quietly like a mannequin, his face obscured by the shadows in the room. Night has already fallen, and the darkness ate away any sense of reality.

"Ehh? Did Shizu-chan finally degenerate into a protozoan?" Izaya inched closer to the figure, his smile still playful.

The mannequin did not move. Its mouth twitched. "Where have you been?"

"Oh? What's this?" Izaya stopped in his tracks. "Since when did Shizu-chan become so concerned about me?"

"Tell me where you've been."

"Haha! Trying to track down my whereabouts like that. What are you, an insecure husband? Ah, no, that's not right. I'm not a woman, you know~. So would that make you my wife?" A laugh barely escaped his lips. "Shi. Zu. Chan. Is. My. Wife~."

THUD.

Izaya blinked twice before his vision cleared. He felt a wetness dripping down his neck, and the intense pain radiating from his head told him enough of what just happened. His back was crushed against the wall, almost sinking into the plaster under the force of the hand that was grabbing him by the collar. It was hard to breathe.

_Ha. What monstrous strength._

_Of course. This is Shizu-chan, after all._

_I wonder if my skull's been cracked open from the impact?_

_Such uncontrollable power, as always._

_Always, always._

A smile crossed his lips.

_How annoying~._

"You're involved with this, aren't you?" The fist tightened further. "Whenever there is trouble, you're behind it 99% of the time."

"So mean, Shizu-chan. Can't you believe in that 1%?" Izaya sighed. "It's not me this time, you know~. I wouldn't put my beloved humans in danger~. Mah, except Shizu-chan of course, since Shizu-chan is totally not human and I hate you and I really hope that you die now ahaha~."

Shizuo stared at the man in front of him. A tide of silver moonlight washed over them both, and in its wake Izaya's pallid skin glowed a white that melted with the night. As if he were transparent.

"Che."

Shizuo let go and turned away. The strain and fatigue that peeked out from behind Izaya's smile in that instant—did he imagine them?

"You believed me? You're too naïve, Shizu-chan. What if I was lying?" The familiar voice sounded behind him. "But a protozoan wouldn't have thought of something even as simple as that~. So, what if, now, I tell you that I was in this all along? What would you do?"

An anger welled up in Shizuo's chest as he swished around to face his provoker. "Shut uh—!"

Eyes. They're staring at him.

Orihara Izaya's face was no more than an inch from his. Shizuo felt the soothing warmth of the breath on his face, the gentle tickle of the hairs brushing against his forehead. He felt the intensity of the gaze from those beautiful crimson-colored eyes that are alit with amusement, craze, sarcasm, and something else that he couldn't quite name.

What is it?

"…What have you done?"

"False. The question you should ask now is—"

"What are you going to do?"

_Haha_. "Bingo~."

* * *

><p>" —…!"<p>

"…Wow."

"Heiwajima-san, h-how did you…?"

Faced with the two packed suitcases, the three students could do nothing but gawk. Next to them, Kadota suddenly felt the onset of another headache.

"Shizuo, where did you get this stuff?" Kadota's fingers glided across the surface of the shiny metal. Two suitcases full of spade-marked guns. Just fantastic.

"A pest gave them too me." A crooked smile flashed across his lips and disappeared.

"And these are all the guns they have in stock?"

"Should be."

"Then, at least, with this guarded by us, we won't have to worry about getting shot at like last time when we attack." Togusa remarked, rubbing his temples to calm the throbbing. "And Kida-kun also found the map for the Spades' base, along with a detailed battle plan… We're practically being led by the nose. Who would've thought that things would come down to this?"

"Now's the time to back out if you're not ready to commit yourself to this." Kadota announced, his voice firm. He surveyed the people around him, and they returned the look with serious countenances. "Anyone?"

"There's no way that the Yellow Scarves can be left out of this one. To beat up the people under the group like that for absolutely no reason… I will not allow it as their shogun!" A sound declaration.

"DOLLARS will stay with you too. This case involves a lot of civilians as well, and, even for me, this kind of excitement is over the top. It'd be in everyone's best interest to stop this madness as soon as possible." A nervous yet confident affirmation.

"Saika will protect its children." A quiet but unyielding proclamation.

"Well then. What else can we say?" Erika and Walker stood in line with Togusa. "Of course we're in."

Kadota nodded his support, and, finally, turned to the last man. "And, Shizuo?"

"Don't joke with me." The man took off his glasses and clipped them to the pocket on his bartender's uniform. Underneath where the glasses had hidden came a pair of amber eyes, the eyes of a determined beast.

"Let's go."

The forces of Ikebukuro, unite.

* * *

><p>"So?" The woman played with her hair. Her free arm circled around the shoulders of the man in the sofa.<p>

"They have reached the south entrance. A smaller group has already taken over the first sector of the western district, and some of our own members seem to be acting by command for them as well, Queen-sama."

"And the Joker?"

"We are still looking for him."

"Keep looking. Report back once you've found him."

"Yes. If you'll excuse me, Queen-sama, I will take my leave."

The door closed, leaving the woman alone with silent man.

"King, it seems that this practical joke has been taken too far." She leaned over him, clasping his face in her hands. His eyelashes flicked slightly under her breath, but still, his eyes remained closed. She nudged his eyelids with the bridge of her nose, softly, lovingly, as if tending to the most precious thing in the world. "But we will get through this together, my King. I will not let anyone hurt you."

"I won't let them get close to you—"

"If they even so much as put a finger on you—"

"I will kill them. I will destroy them—!"

"All those people who had hurt us…those people whom we hate…"

"THEY SHOULD ALL JUST DIE!"

The lashes flicked again. Then, the eyes began to open, slowly. Almost painfully slow.

Two ice-colored pupils stared blankly at her. She smiled back. "Are you sure? There's no need for you to get so serious yourself. But, if you wish—" The woman straightened and, as though by magic, produced a mask. She placed it over his face, secured it behind his ears, and picked away strands of hair that poked out from beneath the white covers.

The man tipped his head to bury his cheek in her caressing hands. As he did so, the black symbol of the spade was revealed on his neck, a marking just like hers.

They are linked. Now let the storm begin.

* * *

><p>"Very impressive, Orihara-san."<p>

Hearing the voice, Izaya couldn't help but let loose a laugh. He tore his eyes away from his humans from down below and swirled around in a dance-like step.

"Oh~? So you've figured it out already, Queen-sama?" Izaya said merrily. "How unexpected~"

"Not fast enough, if I may say so." The Queen replied coldly, her voice lined with a sharp edge, as if she was trying to slice Izaya up with her words. "On the other hand, your work is turning out beautifully, Orihara-san. Just look at what you've done."

"Why, thank you~."

Izaya cocked his head woman. His gaze shifted to the masked man next to her and he smiled, ever so innocently, ever so sinfully.

Noises continued to resonate into the room from the window behind Izaya's back. The sound of fighting. The sound of anger. The sound of a sure crumpling of the Spades almighty. The sound of fear and of hatred.

Pleased, Izaya closed his eyes and hummed to this intriguing melody, his mind lost in this wonderland of human emotions.

_Everything, EVERYTHING! They're giving it ALL—! _

_I knew it. Humans are the best creatures in this world!_

_—!_

—_._

The laughter in his mind came to a screeching halt as Izaya withdrew his mind from those below and back to himself. The smile he wore began to fade as he slowly opened his eyes again, and his red orbs stared calmly at the masked man and down the pitch black barrel of that spotless gun.

_So. What should I do now?_

__**V. STORM end**

* * *

><p>03009: I've churned up another chapter! But I missed Izaya's birthday by a few minutes even though I really rushed it (hence the bad quality), damn. Happy late birthday, Izaya! And this chapter actually continues the last one without a scene change! (SHOCK.) And Izaya finally showed up, officially! (DOUBLE SHOCK.) As for the 'hint' I mentioned back in Chapter 4, it refers to the dates of the messages. Anyone see it now? Yeah, each message is exactly 14 days apart. (OMAHGAHD.) 14, for the Joker card. The boss card. The wild card that falls into whatever suit that becomes trump—suits Izaya pretty well, don't you think? Dim-witted hidden message. I'll admit that. Yoshi! Two more chapters to go! Please bear with me. I'm quite the irresponsible writer, but I'll try to wrap up the last two chapters with something more touching than the crap I've been producing up till now…<p> 


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